Off to the Festival!
by SUITOFSKIN
Summary: Mabel is 23 and hitchhiking to a festival with Waddles by her side. Who picks her up but Greg, who's headed the same way. This gonna be fun. (NOTE: there are MORE references to OTHER cartoons in here, but ... I can't add them only two crossovers allowed!   \ (ツ) /  )


Mabel had always relied on the kindness of strangers. Despite Dipper's misgivings, nothing bad and ever happened when she thumbed a ride somewhere. She was now 23, still sweet, silly and carefree. She had a ukulele case strapped to her back, a suitcase stuffed full of her hand knitted crop top sweaters and Waddles was besides her on a harness. Nothing bad happened to Mabel when she 500 pound boar traveling beside her.' _This was a great way to get to the festival',_ she mused as she stuck her thumb out and waited by the side of the highway. _'Also I get to meet so many awesome people!' T_ he ones that weren't awesome didn't like Waddles or Waddles didn't like them it was good system. Coming down the highway was a white and sea foam green painted van with the writing' stranger's candy; on it. It slowed down as it approached. The door popped open and she was looking at a big burley, man with a thick brown beard. But he has a twinkle in his eyes and a smile on his lips. There was something handsome about his face, under the beard. And his arms were covered in tattoos.

"Hey, I'm Greg! What's your name and what's the pig's name?"

"I'm Mabel, and that's Waddles!"

"Awesome, where you two headed?"

"Wicker dude fest!"

"WOW, Me too, hop in!"

He stopped the van and popped open the side door. Waddles stepped in and Mabel got in the front seat.

"So why you going to Wicker Dude?" Mabel asked.

"Me? I make and sell the best candy!" Greg chuckled.

"Special candy?" Mabel asked winking.

"Naw, to risky I save that my 'special' friends," He said with a wink.

Mabel laughed, Greg laughed, Waddles contentedly snorted in the back.

"So what about you? Why you going to Wicker Dude, Lady with an awesome pig and vintage name!?" Greg asked.

Mabel giggled. "Always wanted too! I'm doing a triple major at school and it's "AAAAGH" so I figured I owe myself some Wicker Dude. My friend Grenda and her husband Marius are meeting me there."

"Wait… do you mean Grenda and Marius Von Funhousen, who run the biggest exotic reptile sanctuary in Europe?" Greg asked.

"Uhhh Yeah?" Mabel said squinting her eyes suspiciously.

"AAAHHHH! I was there two years ago, like volunteering with the amphibian section. I lived there for four months." Greg said.

"AAAAAAAHHH! WE KNOW THE SAME PEOPLE!" Mabel shouted. "THAT'S SO WEIRD!"

"I KNOW IT'S SO COOL!" Greg yelled with glee.

They both laughed some more.

"What were you doing in Europe, Greg?" Mabel asked.

"Oh just sorta living there?" He said. "I think It was like two years, I went there to see some castles, hung out."

"How were the castles?" Mabel asked

"Oh they were cool there are a lot of them. I have pictures on my phone." Greg said. "In Europe Castles are so common they are like McDonalds."

"Wow really? I wanted to go but I've been so busy with school." Mabel said.

"I wish I could do that, but never really liked it." Greg said.

Waddles snorted in the back.

"Hey do you have any caramel apples?" Mabel asked.

"Yeah... why?" Greg replied.

"Waddles LOVES those!"

"Really?! Let's give him one!" Greg shouted with glee.

He checked the rear view mirror, then pressed on the brake and put the van in park.

"Hey uhhh why are stopping?" Mabel asked.

"So I can give Waddles some apples, of course," Greg smiled as he unbuckled his seat belt and got out of his seat. " We're the only thing on the road right now I checked."

"Oh cool, ….hey they aren't the 'special' apples, Greg?" Mabel asked.

"Naw, edibles are way to valuable to give to piggies," Greg said, scratching Waddles behind the ear. He dug in a metal bin in the back of the van and pulled out a bunch of half melted caramel apples. "These were my 'oopisies' still tasty, but I'd have to discount them if I sold them."

He dropped the majority of them on the floor and Waddles gave a happy oink and began to eat, Greg laughed and scratched Waddles again… then he brought five up to the front.

"Waiiit is that pretzel bits on the caramel?" Mabel asked, eyes lighting up.

"Yeah, and I have ones chips and waffle bits." Greg said.

"I can't decide which one I want….. " Mabel said in a awed voice.

"I'm taking the waffle one… but the pretzel one also has …. some rainbow sprinkles." Greg offered.

"Gimme!" Mabel said with a happy shout.

He tossed her the apple and she caught it.

It smelled amazing, like the sweetest fruit and the richest caramel, yeah it was little melted looking and the pretzels weren't evenly distributed but….. Mabel wasn't saying No. Then she bit in, and swooned moaning. "GREG-THIS- IS- AMAZING, YOU ARE FOOD GENIUS!"

"Aww, shucks tis nothing," Greg said giving a cheeky smile then returned to the drivers seat put the apples on the cup holder between them.

They wolfed down the apples, and drove along, talking almost NON-STOP about everything. Then they sang a bit as well. In a small minute of Silence, Mabel looked at him. He was bearded, covered in tattoos and built like a truck but…handsome? And so far not creepy or anything. After her ugly break up with Pacifica she wasn't sure, if she wanted to date anyone. But she did like him a lot and he seemed to like her. It was just a day so far. Even if they just were friends…. she kinda wanted the universe to give her a sign, something that would tell her if Greg was a guy for her. It was at that moment, Waddles oinked to to front and licked Greg right on the face. He laughed and tickled Waddles' chin. … _And that was it, the universe was saying YES._

They talked more.

" ..So after Wicker Dude, I'm going up to work with a Buddy in Colorado Springs, he tried my candy and we're gonna sell it at this bakery he owns." Greg said.

"Cool! That sounds so great, I'm just going back to college…triple MAJOR and all." Mabel sighed.

"What are you majoring in, anyhow?" Greg asked.

"Oh Art, Social work, and psychology. I wanna be an art therapist who works with kids who've been through traumatic things." Mabel said. "I had some weird stuff happen when I was kid, and doing art really helped me."

"Neat! I had some weird stuff happen to when I was five, art and music totally helped me." Greg said.

"Yeah but this is the BESt way to END the summer, … I hope my brother can make it to Wicker Dude too, but he's IN television and real busy." Mabel shrugged.

"Oh? What's he do?" Greg asked.

"You're gonna laugh but he's producer and host of that…. supernatural investigation show, the one where they NEVER get anything on camera… Pines Paranormal." Mabel said, cringing a little.

"HE IS?" Greg exclaimed. "That show is HILARIOUS, I mean yeah they NEVER get anything on camera but … you hear stuff off of camera and like he's so funny when he gets mad on tv. Wow, I never knew I'd be giving a ride to Mason's Pines sister!"

"Hee-hee," Mabel giggled. "Yeah well.. he's just… boring' old Dipper to me.. that's his nickname."

"I have an older half brother Wirt, he's a good guy and I love him but I kinda watched him… give up on everything that made me happy, so he could have a steady job." greg said. "HE used to write poetry, now he's like married with kids and a accountant, with a mortgage and an SUV. I never want that to happen to me."

"Well… do you like being an uncle?" Mabel asked

"YEAH! MY niece and nephew are so MUCH fun, Dariel is seven and Sheena Adelaide is five." Greg said. "I love them and his wife is cool."

"So that's good, right?" Mabel asked.

"Hmm never thought it that way," Greg said. "Wicker Dude is gonna be so great this year…"

"Yeah, it's my first but like the best way to end this summer." Mabel said.

"…how did it begin?" Greg asked.

"Awful…." Mabel grumbled. "At the end of the semester I went to Mount Holyoke surprise my girlfriend Pacifica…. SURPRISE! She was cheating on me with her sorority sister. And she dumped me. … luckily my friend Tina came with me and punched her in the nose. But it got better after that, I went to stay with Tina's family, they are awesome, her MOM is the BEST and for the past couple summers, her Dad pays me to work at his restaurant, it's under the table he says I'm good at it. Her sister Regina is funny and cool. They say I remind them of their youngest, who… ran away the same night the restaurant across the street from them mysteriously burnt down. … Well I don't STAY with them exactly, because there is NO way I can get Waddles up the stairs to their apartment….. but we stay nearby…."

"Cool, so I guess it turned around then?" Greg said.

"Yeah, " Mabel agreed. "What about you?"

"Oh I did this and that, mostly I was testing recipes and making candy and visiting my family. But in June I was on the East coast too, I was hanging out with my friend Steve and his wife. They are so cool, Steve and I used to be in a band together…. it didn't work out but we stayed in touch. He's great, He's like seven feet tall with WILD black hair and like the nicest guy EVER. He just looks scary. It's his wife ya gotta watch out for she is an expert fencer. When they get together it's MAGIC. Also he has THREE MOMS and a Dad… they aren't like swingers or anything, it's just his Moms were all… uhhh friends of his real Mom, before she passed and his Dad is old school rocker with the SAME NAME as me. I love it., we spend out time jamming hanging out on the beach and I get them to try my candy."

"That sounds great," Mabel said. "I guess we both had good summers."

"Yeah but it's gonna get better." Greg said and he smiled at her. "After all I just met you…"

Was he flirting? … Yeah… Mabel was pretty sure he was. She laughed. "Aww…. thanks, I feel the same."

The sun was setting, Waddles was snoring, everything was perfect so far.


End file.
